Interview with Dino about Trayvon Martin1. What are your thoughts about the Trayvon Martin case?: Not a good look and being black, and harassed. People are being judged by how they look and taking their lives because they are a minority.

2. Trayvon that night had a hoodie on minding his business walking home to his father’s affiances' house. Knowing that you’re a young African American male, have you been harassed or searched up for profiling because of your hoodie or just because how you look? : Yes, all the time the moment I get out of school. I have experienced some racism that I have come across, being called the “N” word. It’s hard to believe to see it happen in action.

3. Why do you think Zimmerman still went after Treyvon even though he was told by the dispatcher, not to go after him? : He went after him because of his color and because that was the one person he saw and assumed that he was the bad guy when the dispatcher said there was someone who looked suspicious. What would give him the right to shoot somebody? What was going through his mind? I wonder why the fingers always have to get pointed for being black or for putting on a hoodie.

4. We are aware that Florida has the “Stand your ground” gun law. Do you support it? : To a certain extend because you are protecting yourself. But for using it for another reason that isn’t relevant and it is wrong, which means that something has to be done.

5. Explain why this story got the attention of the men are media knowing that young men are shot everyday in this country. : Because he was told not to go after Trayvon and he still insisted on taking matters into his own hands. Also because of the phone call that was made. Zimmerman assumed that because there was a young black man wondering around with a hoodie, Travyon was the first person he saw.

6. How did you feel when Zimmerman wasn’t arrested on time, until after the protest? : It angered me and got me upset. I wondered why it took that long because if it was the other way around, it would have been a different story.

7. This case has not only given an eye-opening about how strong racism still exists, but also not accepting a black as president and a leader of the white house. What are your thoughts and relations to this two? : Some people should be happy that we as a nation have a black president. Black people built this land and after so many years one would think that things have changed. Blacks are still trapped, held in that hole. There is that perspective that blacks are free which is not true.

8. Do you think that throughout that time when Zimmerman wasn’t arrested until the protest, he still has something hiding? Do you think he is honest with his part of the story? : No he isn’t being honest. How can a person be assaulted when they are on the phone with their girlfriend?

9. Predict what will happen in the next case. : It’s a hard case to predict. Two sides in this case. There is a lot he made up in his head to make him think it was real.

10. If a black person killed a white person that black person would be arrested in a heart beat. What if it was the other way around? : The black person would get a death penalty without any questions. But if it was the other way around, it would be a pat on the back, “good job” for a response for something well done.

11. Have you encountered any form of racism at your school, work, store, etc? : It’s all around. I see it all the time. For example, when a black man gets into a restaurant that is highly expensive, where most white, rich, individuals would attend. Because he is a minority, he gets the stares and assumptions start to kick in that he is maybe a drug dealer or a criminal. They could not think that he has a good job and is well educated to afford a place like this and also a well respectable person in his community and highly spoken about positively.

12. What makes you so different and authentic to see things in a different light than anyone else? : Because I am ahead of time in my head. I am a very complicated person and I like a challenge and also wanting to make a change.

13. Can you judge the behavior of this school? Did they show any sense of sympathy? What should have been done that wasn’t done before? : The school didn’t seem to care about the case, like giving a protest. I was still concerned why this is happening. I seemed to be the only person in this school to bring something up and talk about it; why people didn’t protest or say anything about it.